Dokku vs Supabase
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Dokku
Smallest open-source PaaS implementation you can run
VS
Supabase
Open-source Firebase alternative
| Feature | Dokku | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 32,099 | ★ 107,678 |
| First released | 2013 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Heroku | Firebase |
Why pick each one
Choose Dokku if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 32.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Dokku or Supabase better?
Neither is universally better. Supabase has the larger community, while Dokku is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dokku and Supabase free and open-source?
Yes. Dokku is licensed under MIT and Supabase under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dokku and Supabase with Docker?
Dokku: yes. Supabase: yes.